Machine for treating materials



H. H. MILLER MACHINE FQR TREATING MATERIALS Nov. 27, 1928. I 1,692,947

@7 Maw/'w ATTO R N EY Nov. 27', 1928;

H. H. MILLER MACHINE PQR TREATING MATERIALS Filed dan. l223, 1927 2 sheets-sheet v2.

ATTO H EY Patented Nov. 27,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY I-I. MILLER, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO'THE H. H. MILLER INDUSTRIES COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OIE*l OHIO.

MACHINE FOR'TREATING MATERIALS..

Application led January 28, 1927. Serial No 164,150.

This invention relates to a machine for treating materials, more particularly a material freezing machine of the character used for making ice cream, ices, sherbets and similar products.

One object of the invention is to construct a machine of this character having improved y mechanism for. agitating, beating or mixing the materials, whereby the transfer of heat 1o therefrom may be rapidly effected.

Another object ofthe invention is to construct a machine of this character having improved mechanism for operating upon the materials to be treated, the elements of which mechanism are arranged to co-act to bring or move all portions of the/materials into contact with the refrigerated walls of the cylin-` der in a relatively quick manner, whereby the freezing operation is materially shortened. 2o

simple construction and capable of large outut.- p Another object of the invention is to conza struct a machine of this character having an improved material agitating mechanism capable of bringing all portions of the material into contact with the wall upon which the temperature changing medium acts, whereby :nl change of temperature of the material is substantially uniform and rapidly effected.

A furtherobject of the invention consists in providing a device or a plurality of devices which co-act with those elements that 3f, move in a path close to the cylinder wall and principally those elements which scrape the material therefrom to move or force the material outwardly against the cylinder wall and in the path of movcmen-ts of these elements.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompany- .1.a ing drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a ymachine embodying my invention, parts of.

the machine being broken away.

F1 2 is a longitudinal section through the a freezing cylinder on the l1ne 2-2 of Figs. 3

Another object of the invention is toprovide a machine of this character of relatively 'are mounted in suitable bearings 12a.

ably fashioned to form a main support 2 for u the freezing cylinder, indicated as an entirety at 3, and a supplemental support 4 for a driving mechanism which is indicated as an en! tirety at 5. 6 indicates a pair of standards extending upwardly from the supplemental support 4 and carrying a plate 7 to support a motor 8,' of the electric type, which illustrates the preferred means forv operating the driving mechanism 5. The shaft of the motor 8 is provided with a pinion 9, over which and a gear 10, a chain 10a runs to drive the latter. The driving mechanism 5 preferably,4 comprises a main bevel gear 11 fixed to the shaft of the gear 10 and bevel gears 12, 13, meshing with the main gear 11. The gears 12, 13, are provided with hubs 12', 13, which The bearings 12a are mounted in the side walls of a casing 16, which encloses the driving mechanism 5. The gear hubs 12, 13, are removably fixed to shafts 14, 15, respectively, to

which reference will later be made. The casing 16 is of suitable construction for housing the driving mechanism 5, being open at its top and closed by a cover 17.

As shown in the drawings, and by preference, the freezing cylinder 3 is arranged horizontally, so that the agitating means, indica-ted as an entirety at 21, may operate most efficiently upon the material. Of the freezing cylinder 3, 18 indicates a cylinder having a rear head 19 and a front head 20, which co-operates with the wall of the cylinder 18 to form a chamber to receive and hold the material while it is being treated. One of the heads, preferably the rear head 19, is formed with an opening 19a to which a duct or pipe 22 is connected, and serving as an inlet opening and inlet duct, respectively,

constituting the inlet duct 22 may be formed integrally with the head 19; and the opening 2Oa formed in the head 20 may be surrounded by an integrally formed annular wall 20b to form a suitable seat for the valve 23.

24 indicates a circuitous conduit extending spirally around the cylinder 18, from end to end thereof, and forming a passage through which a suitable temperature changing medium is caused to flow or circulate. In the construction of the machine shown, I provide for the freezing of the material introduced in or supplied to the cylinder 18, for which purpose the temperature changing medium used constitutes a suitable refrigerant, such as brine. The conduit is preferably formed from one or more sheets of material which are corrugated and such sheet or sheets are bent or rolled into circular form and posi- 'tioned around the cylinder 18, the corrugations being so arranged that they form a spiral passage when the sheet is positioned around the cylinder 18, and the edges of the corrugations are suitably fixed to the outer walll or surface of the cylinder .18 thus forming between their adjacent portions and the cylinder the passage 24, whereby the refrigerant may How throughout the conduit or passage in direct contact with the cylinder 18. The circuitous passage 24 is preferably formed and constructed and fixed to the cylin- Vder 18 substantially in the manner set forth in the patent to John C. Miller, No. 878,225, to which reference may be made. 25 indicates a supply pipe for the refrigerant leading to a point near the front end of the cylinder 3 and connected by the branch pipe 25a to an inlet pipe 26 which is connected with one end of the passage 24. 27 indicates a return pipe for the brine leading from the branch pipe 25a.' The opposite end of the passage 24 is connected to the return pipe 27 (not shown) at a point lnear the rear end of the freezing cylinder 3. 28 indicates a suitable valve disposed in the connection between the branch pipe 25a and return pipe 27 and constructed to cut ofi` the flow of brine to the branch pipe 25a and to the return pipe 27, or to cut off the flow of brine to the branch pipe 25 and permit its-flow through the return pipe 27. 29 indicates a thermometer which may be supported in a suitable openinor formed in the elbow 25 provided in the iranch pipe 25. 30 indicates a jacket surrounding the passage or conduit 24 and providing a space between the walls of the sheet metal forming i the circuitous passage 24, whichspace may be filled with suitable material having non-heat conducting characteristics to prevent radiation or conduction ofheat,therebyovercoming rise in temperature of the refrigerant while being circulated around the cylinder 18. At the rear of the freezingcylinder 3 the circumferential edges of the cylinder 18 and jacket 30 are secured to the inner and outer circumferential walls, respectively, of a Hange 31 projecting inwardly from the inner face of the rear head 19, and the -adjacent circumf ferential edge of the sheet metal from which the circuitous passage 24 is formed is also secured to the flange 31, the manner of securing these 'edges being such that a liquid tight joint is provided to prevent leakage of the material from the cylinder 18 and leakage of the refrigerant 3 from the passage 24. At'

its front end, vthe freezing cylinder 3 is provided with a ring 32 having a flange 33 to which the adjacent circumferential edges of the cylinder 3, jacket 30 and sheet metal forming the passage 24 are secured in@ a similar manner to form liquid tight joints for these circumferential edges. The ring 32 is provided with an outwardly extending flange 34, the outer surface of which is suitably ground to form a seat for an inwardly extending ground fiange 20 provided on the periphery of the front head 20. 35 indicates devices carried by the ring 32 and provided with suitable clam'ping elements arranged to engage the head 20 and force the latter inwardly to removably clamp the coactingground surfaces of the flanges 34, 20', in intimate con tact,l so that the head 20 will be removably supported in engagement with the ring 32,

in a liquid tight manner, to prevent leakage of the material from the cylinder 18,.

As shown, the inlet opening 19a is disposed in the upper portion ofthe rear head 19 so that the cylinder 18 may be readily filled with any predetermined quantity of material, such as crealn, sugar and iavoring; and the discharge opening 2()a is disposed in the lower portion of the front head to permit the complete, or substantially complete, emptying of the frozen material bythe ejectingl means to be later described; this arrangement also permitting the ready introduction of a cleansing solution to the cylinder 18 and its discharge therefrom.

36 indicates a duct extending upwardly' from the, upper portion of the head 20, the walls of the duct being preferably formed integrally with the head 20. The duct leads through an opening (not shown) 4formed in the head and permits a ortion of the material, while it is being rozen, to flow into the duct where it can be seen by the operator. The open end of the duct may be closed by a cap 36, pivoted at its rear side to the-upper terials into the cylinder 18 at any desired time during the freezing operation. 'lhe walls of the duct 38 are preferably formed integrally with the head 20.

The agit-ating means 21 serves to mix and agitate the material or materials-supplied or introduced into the cylinder 18 to be treatedy or frozen, in order that all portions of the material will be brought into contact with the wall of the cylinder and to thereby enable the refrigerant to absorb the heat of the material and effect freezing or lowering in temperature thereof. In the use of machines of this character, the material, when supplied to the freezing cylinder, usually has a temperature of about forty degrees and resulting from its treatment in the freezing cylinder and at time of discharge therefrom, its temperature is lowered to about twenty-five ortwe-ntyeight degrees, but it will be understood that the material may havea higher or lower telnperature when supplied to the cylinder and may also be reduced to a lower degree vof temperature while being treated. By the term agitating I have reference to the operations of the elements within the cylinder, which elements by their movement therein, cause a beating or whippingaction upon the material and movement of portions thereof relative. to other portions to mix and stir the same, the purpose being to cause all portions of the material to be quickly and repeatedly brought into Contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 18, whereby a transfer of heat from the vmaterial will be effected 4due to the circulation of the refrigerant around its outer surface. As will be later set forth (1) one 4element or elements of the agitating means 21 serves to scrape ofi' the film of material adhering to the cylinder 18 to mix it with the body portion of the material and to permit other portions of the material to contact with such wall; (2) anotherl ele-ment or elements serves to move the materia-l toward that head of the cylinder in which the discharge opening is formed so that upon opening of the valve 23, the material will be eject-ed or discharged therethrough, (3) another element 'of the agitating means serves to move that portion of the material near the central area of the cylinder toward one end of the cylinder, preferably that end opposite to the direction of movement imparted to the material by the ejecting element, and (4) another element serves to impel the material outwardly, substantially radially toward the cylinder wall 18. 0f the agitating means 21, 40 indicates a shaft extending axially of the cylinder 18, the inner or rear end thereof extending through an opening 19 formed in the head 19 land connected to the gear 12 or its hub 12 to be driven thereby. The connection of the shaft 40 with the gear 12 is such that the shaftmay be disengaged from the gear when the agitating means 21 are removed from the cylinder 18 for cleaning and repair purposes. The opposite-or outer end of the shaft 4() is rotatably and removably mounted in a bear-4 ing or bushing 41, which is fitted in an opening 2() formed in the head 20. The shaft 4() is provided with collars 41a, 41D, to engage the inner faces of the collars 42, 42, (which will later be referred to) to prevent endwise movement of the shaft. 43 indicates spaced blades preferably formed integrally 'with and extending laterally from opposite sides` of the shaft 40 in a radial direction. The blades 43 are disposed at an angle to a plane extending transversely ofthe cylinder so that during their revolution in the cylinder 18 they will act on the material to move it toward one end of the cylinder. In the preferred arrangement, as shown, the shaft 40 is driven in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the front end of the cylinder (see Fig. 4) and the blades are disposed so as to move the material toward the rear end or head. 44, 45, indicate spiders rotatable in a. clockwise direction and mounted on the shaft 40 and disposed adjacent to the heads 19, 20. The s iders 44, 45, comprise the collars 42, 42a, (glready referred to), pairs of arms 44, 45,

preferably three pairs) and -pairs of arms 44", 45", (preferably three pairs), which pairs of arms carry at their outer ends elelnents 4G, 47, respectively. The elements 46, 47, extend longitudinally of the cylinder and move in av path, measured radially of the cylinder, beyond the ends of the blades 43. AThe elements 46 consist of scraping members having relatively sharp outer edges arranged to engage the inner-surface of the cylinder 18 and to scrape the material therefrom. The opposite ends of each scraping member are bolted or otherwise connected to plates 48 having lugs 49, which are pivoted upon a rod 50 connected to the arms of the adjacent pair 44a, 45, whereby the sera-pers may swing outwardly, due to centrifugal force, to insure their scraping engagement with the cylinder 18. 'Each of the elements 47 preferably comprises a bar of spiral shape connected to and supported by one pair of arms 44h, 45". In addition to their functionof agitating 'the material in a direction about the axis of the cylinder, the spiral shape of the bars 47 permits them to move the material toward the front end of the cylinder, whereby they function to eject or discharge the materialthrough the opening 2 0B when the valve 43 is operated to open the latter. The bars 47 also serve to spread the material on the cylinder wall as they revolve, for which purpose their outer side edges may vbe of convexed shape. The elements 46, 47,

y the cylinder wall in a rapid manner.

' wardl are alternately arranged upon the pairs of arms to vprovidepfor uniformity of action as they revolve about the axis of the cylinder 18. The rods 5() and elements 47 operate -to connect the spiders 44, 45, together as a unitary structure, so that they may be rotated on the shaft 40. As shown in Fig. 1, the collar 42 is secured in any desired manner to the flange 51 of a sleeve shaft 51a which surroundsthe shaft 40 and extends through the opening 19 and has its outer end removably connected to the gear 13, or its hub 13, by which it is driven. The spiders 44, 45, are .spaced apart so that the collars 42, 42, thereof rotate in engagementwith the inner faces of-the heads 19, 20, or suitablebosses provided lthereon and surrounding the openings 19', 20", the

former collar and fiange 51 also operating to limit the inward movement of the agitating means 21 when it is being assembled or posit-ioned in the cylinder 18 and the shafts 40 and y51 connected to the gears 12, 13, respectively. l

52 indicates devices shaped and arranged to engage the material and impel or force it outwardly toward the wall of the cylinder 18. These devices move relative to, and in the preferred form of const-ruct-ion, in the opposite rotative direction to, the elements 47, thereby co-actingwith tlieseelements to additionally agitate the material'but more particularly to 1 impel the material, immediately following the scraping ofthe cylinder wall, quickly ack into engagement therewith. In my form of construction the devices 52 are preferably and for purpose of simplicity mounted upon sets of radial arms 52a connected to or formed integrally with the shaft 40 and disposed at right angles to the plane of the blades 43,- so that the devices 52 may be separated from the blades 43 and act independently thereof. Thus it will be seen that there are (l) a plurality of elements which operate at uniformly spaced points, to continuously scrape the material yfrom the cylinder wall and force it intherefrom, and (2) a plurality of space devices which continuously operate to impel the material outwardly toward the cylinder wall, so that portions of the material are being caused to engage; and disengage The devices 52 may comprise wings or paddles disposed so that their flat faces extend substantially longitudinally 'of the cylinder, but

in the preferred form of construction, each blade 52 consists of a single fiat strip 0r relatively narrow plate and extends continuously throughout the cylinder between the spiders 44, 45, and the arms 52u are of such length th at the blades 52 move in a path within the paths traversed by the'elements 46. 47. The blades may be mounted and secured in any desired manner in slot-s formed in the free ends of the arms 521. As shown, I provide two devices 52 in diametrical relation. The width of the devices 52 may be varied to extend outwardly or inwardly to any desired extent.

In the operation of the machine, the valve n t 28 is operated to supply'the brine or lother refrigerant to the passage 24 and the driving 70 mechanism isset 1n operation to rotate the shafts 14, 15, and through them the agitating means 21, then a predetermined quantity of material to be frozen is supplied through the inlet duct 22 to the cylinder 18. The 75 freezing operation continues until the material is found to be in the desired condition for discharge, which condition may be determined by any suitable test, whereupon the valve 23 is opened. Upon the opening of the 80 valve, the material will be ejected in a rapid manner due to the action of the bars 47, as already described. In emptying the cylinder' 18, a suitable receptacle is placed below the bpening 20a, to receive the frozen material. 95 v In operating the machine, the valve 28 may beoperated to shut off the flow of the refrigerant at any time,` at will; also crushed fruits and other flavoring materials may be introduced through the funnel 37 at any time. 90

To facilitate filling of the cylinder 18, a batch tank 53 or otherform of measuring mechanism may be. provided in superposed relation to the freezing cylinder 3 and connected by an outlet 53a, which is controlled 95 by a valve 54, to the inlet end of the duct 22. In the illustrated construction, the batch tank is supported by legs 55 on the freezing cylinder 3 and the outlet 53a is connected: by a union 56 with the duct 22.

By arranging the freezing cylinder 3 in a horizontal position, the agitating means may operate-in and u on the material from end to end of thecy inder 18, and maybe operated at a relativelv low speed and with 1UP less strain upon the arings and driving mechanism, and complete the freezing operation in a relatively short period: of time, since the material does not have to be lifted to a great height to effect .the necessary agiliv tation as is the case Where the cylinder is disposed vertically. ,Y

The freezing cylinder 3 is preferably supported on and rigidly connected to the main support 2 by suitable arms 56, 57, the former Il? extending upwardly from the frame 1 and en gaging the rear head to which it is secured an-dE the latter extending downwardly froml thering 32 and secured tothe front end of the support 2.

To those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and appli- .cations of the invention will suggest themcombination of a cylinder for material having an inlet and an outlet, inner and outer members mounted to rotate Within said cylinder in inner surface of 'said cylinder and said" inner p member compr1s1ng sets of blades dlsposed upon opposite sides of the axis of'said inner member and arranged to propel the material toward one end of the cylinder and an element'arranged midway between the outer ends ofsaid blades and traversing a circular path within but closely adjacent thescra'ping element-s of said outer member and operating to impel the material substantially' outwardly againstsaid .inner surface, and-means for operating said members.

2. In a machine of the class-described, the' combination vof a cylinder for material. having an inlet and an outlet, innerand outer members mounted to rotatewithin .said cylinder in different paths lmeasured radially thereof and relative to each other, said vouter member comprising an element adapted to move the material toward said outlet and an element operating to scrape the material from the innersurface of said cylinder and said inner member comprising Aa plurality of blades arran ed to `pro el the material toward one en'of the cylinder, arms extending at right angles to the blades and an elenient'carried by said arms and operating to impelthe material substantiall outwardly against' said inner surface, an meansfor operating said members. p

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a cylinder for material having an inlet and an outlet, inner and outer members mounted! to rotate Within said cylinder in dilferent paths, measured radially thereof and relative to each other, said outer member operating to scrape the material from the inner'surface of said `cylinder, and said innerv member comprising sets'of oppositely extending blades arranged to propel the material toward one end of the cylinder, sets of arms extending in opposite directions at substantially right angles to said blades and longitudinally extending strips having their active faces disposed substantially radially and carried. by the free ends. of said! arms to move ina circular path within but closely adjacent to the scraping elements of said outer member and operating to impel the material substantially outwardly against the inner surface of said cylinder, and means for operating said members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HARVEY H. MILLER 

